[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, 9 Oct: Arunachal Pradesh has experienced a substantial deficit rainfall this year, which is adversely affecting the growth of paddy crops and citrus fruits in the state.
As per reports, the state recorded about 41% below the long period average (LPA) rainfall during the peak monsoon season this year.
The month-wise deficit rainfall suffered by the state was reported as 40% in June, 48% in July, 17% in August, and 58% in September, which indicates a highly uneven and stressed monsoon distribution.
A particularly severe shortfall of 229 mm rainfall occurred between 1 June and 8 July, coinciding with the critical paddy transplanting period.
The central Arunachal zone, including East Siang and other districts of the Siang belt, witnessed early-season dry spell, combined with continued deficits in rainfall during the monsoon season, creating drought-like conditions in the region. The unfavourable weather situation caused worry among the local farmers, and they have moved the district authorities for a contingency crop plan.
Shortage of rainwater badly affected both agricultural and horticultural systems in East Siang and other adjoining districts. Rainfed paddy, the principal kharif crop, suffered delays.
Dr Dinesh Kumar, assistant professor (agronomy) in the department of natural resource management of the College of Horticulture & Forestry (CHF) here, said that horticultural crops, particularly citrus (Khasi mandarin), experienced water stress during flowering and fruit set, resulting in poor fruit set, smaller fruit size, and heightened physiological disorders.
In a similar manner, vegetables and nurseries also faced establishment failures, depriving farmers of immediate seasonal income and seedlings for successive crops. These combined effects highlight the vulnerability of the state’s agrarian economy to monsoon variability.
Following the unfavourable climatic conditions in the region, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of East Siang and the KVKs of other affected districts have emphasized on contingency crop planning.
Agriculture scientists have recommended adopting short-duration and drought-tolerant varieties for salvage sowing, distributing seed packets for contingency cropping, and encouraging alternative crops such as millets, sesamum and legumes suited to limited moisture availability.
The scientists further advised farmers to adopt water conservation strategies like mulching, check dams, and pond recharge to retain soil moisture. “For horticultural crops, timely foliar nutrition and orchard management are promoted to reduce stress and sustain productivity. These measures aim to mitigate immediate crop losses while strengthening resilience against future rainfall variability in the Himalayan state,” the scientists observed.
